The Church is in crisis. Congregations are collapsing, scandals abound, but
there is one place where religion is flourishing. In sport. As the nation
celebrates the Easter weekend, there are 254 sports chaplains at work in the
UK.

A football manager’s wish list might include a transfer budget, talented
players, a trustworthy assistant and an effective scouting network. But
increasingly it also includes the appointment of a chaplain. Chris Powell,
the manager of Charlton Athletic, says that his chaplain is the heartbeat of
his npower Championship club and he would not want to manage without one.